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The new scandal that could end Blair’s comeback before it begins

This article was published on this blog a week ago under a different title. It has now been covered byThe Canarywith the title “The fresh scandal that could end Tony Blair’s political comeback before it begins” – so a repost under the new title seems appropriate. Please share, so the word spreads and this is picked up by the mainstream as it should be.

The information – from a source whose bona fides are beyond question – was immediately attacked by an employee of Blairite PR firm Portland Communications, which if anything enhances its credibility:

As a result of that series of articles, this writer was contacted by a former army officer (bona fides established) – whom we’ll call “Major X” – who confirmed that soldiers ‘routinely’ masqueraded as police officers in operations against what both the Blair and Major governments considered ‘extremist groups’ – but with a mind-blowing stretching of any definition of ‘extremist’. A ‘trailer’ of this testimony was published last weekend, pending a full account from the ex-military whistleblower.

I had no inkling just how explosive that full account would – if true – prove to be.

If proven, this testimony shows army personnel dressing in police uniform to act not only against groups that are anything but extreme – but against the most surprising and controversial ‘extremists’ imaginable – with the full knowledge of at least two serving Prime Ministers, one of whom is said to be planning a UK political comeback.

The former officer freely admits that he has no direct personal knowledge of Orgreave, although his testimony is unquestionably relevant to events there

However, his claims go far beyond even that enormously important matter. Here are his words:

In the early 1990s I was an Army [redacted] and it was my job to assign military personnel in support of the police in operations against any group considered ‘extremist’ under both Major and Blair governments.

I worked initially from the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, for a unit known as “[redacted]” normally referred to simply as [redacted], assigning troops to requests from the police and security services. During significant operations we based out of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, or COBRA, where I was responsible for preparing and occasionally delivering the military brief to the Prime Minister or his nominated deputy.

In the mid-90s, after the necessary training and promotion to [redacted], I worked first as a Army [redacted] officer dealing with [redacted] and then by the late 90s as a staff officer in the permanent military headquarters, usually referred to simply as “Senior Military Commander” or SMC, set up to coordinate and deliver military support to the police alongside their “Gold” headquarters wherever that was set up to manage an operation.

Regarding the use of the military to support police operations, I personally helped organise military support to primarily for surveillance, but occasionally for infiltration and arrest operations, against the Provisional IRA, Animal Liberation Front, striking firemen, striking prison officers, the “hippy convoy” to Stonehenge, members of the Royal Family, and on one occasion, the German and French delegations to the European Council of Ministers meeting in Edinburgh (1992).

Throughout that time it was common practice for members of the SAS, bomb disposal units, intelligence corps personnel, and signals (eavesdropping) specialists to be issued with fake ID and dress as policemen, and to travel in police or unmarked vehicles.

If correct, this testimony shows that using soldiers in police uniform against striking miners would be at the less dramatic end of the spectrum of the misuse of military personnel and resources masquerading as police officers.

If correct, this account shows:

that successive governments abused their powers by stretching the definition of ‘extremist group’ beyond any reasonable sense, to include groups such as firemen, prison officers and hippies on their way to an ancient monument

that armed forces personnel were presented as police to spy on and infiltrate not only ‘extremists’ such as firemen and prison officers, but also on diplomats of friendly countries – and members of our own Royal Family

that at least two successive Prime Ministers were personally briefed on these activities – including one who is currently ‘trailing’ his potential return to UK politics

If correct, this whistleblower’s testimony strikes not only at the credibility of this government’s rationale for denying a full public inquiry into events at Orgreave – but at the very heart of this country’s Establishment and institutions.

If correct, this testimony demands a full, public and independent inquiry – not only into Orgreave but into the wider abuse of power and privilege that it reveals.

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7 responses to “The new scandal that could end Blair’s comeback before it begins”

Reblogged this on Sid's Blog and commented:
Can you hear Major X? (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)
Time to take your protein pills and put your helmet on, Mr Blair!
Take a walk (but not on the Wild Side) To mix music metaphors, badly